Just days ago, the adoptive father of Sherin Mathews was indicted for her murder by a grand jury. In the indictment, the grand jury determined Wesley Mathews used a “deadly weapon” to end the child’s life. He may now face the death penalty for the October, 2017, crime.
Weeks ago, the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed Sherin died of “homicidal violence,” according to NBC 5 Dallas.
Mathews’ was subsequently charged with capital murder in Sherin’s death after a grand jury found that during the commission of the killing, he “did use a deadly weapon, the exact nature and description of which is not known…,” reports India-West. The indictment further notes that Mathews “intentionally and knowingly” caused Sheirn’s death.
Capital murder is a first-degree felony, which means if Mathews is convicted of the charge, he could face a sentence of life in prison to the death penalty, according to India-West.
Although the grand jury indictment does not implicate Sherin’s adoptive mother, Sini Mathews, in the child’s death, it did result in a charge of abandonment and endangering of a child against her, reports NBC 5 Dallas.
Thus, both of Sherin’s adoptive parents, Sini and Wesley Mathews, remain jailed.
Just weeks ago, a judge denied the couple access to their biological daughter, who was removed from the home by Child Protective Services shortly after the investigation into Sherin’s disappearance began.
Sherin’s lifeless body was found by a cadaver dog on Sunday, October 22, in a culvert not far from her family’s home. Wesley was arrested the next day and charged with Injury to a Child.
Sini is being held on a $100,000 bond. She is accused of leaving Sherin, 3, alone at home while she and her husband, Wesley, went out to dinner with their biological daughter. The outing reportedly took place on October 6, the night before Sherin was reported missing, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Wesley told police on October 23 that Sherin was left at home because she wouldn’t drink her milk and he became “impatient” with her, reports the Dallas Morning News. He said Sini agreed to leave Sherin behind and was not “coerced” into doing so. He told police when the family returned home about an hour later, Sherin was still in the kitchen.
An arrest affidavit for Wesley states he told police that on October 7, he and Sherin were in the garage of the family home where he was trying to get her to drink milk, which she ultimately did. He said he then “physically assisted” her as she drank, subsequently observing that she was choking, coughing, and breathing slowly. Wesley stated that “eventually” he couldn’t feel a pulse on Sherin and believed the little girl was dead. He also admitted moving her body from the family home.
Sherin was adopted by the Mathews in the summer of 2016 from India.